Originally posted by ShockerFever
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Let me put it to you straight (and by you, I mean the rational posters reading this): this team hasn't proven it can beat a top 50 team in 19 games. 6 times in the last 10 games we've been behind at half, including to #270 Arkansas State. We've been forced to come back against such mighty powerhouses as California (#221), FGCU (#129), and Tulsa (#131). We've snapped every positive conception of our team:
"Wichita State is great at home" - Demolished by OU, SMU
"Wichita State is great on the road" - Trashed by Houston
"Wichita State plays great defense" - #55 in the country and continuing to drop
"Landry Shamet is an all-American" - lost every "star" matchup so far; Colson/Young/Milton/Gray etc. etc. etc.
Now look at our schedule. Right now this is a 10 loss team. The team that played this week (and to be honest, 70% of this season) loses both games to Cincinnati by double digits, loses @ Temple, loses @ SMU, drops one of @Memphis, vs Temple, vs Tulsa and loses in the 2nd round of the AAC tournament to Houston/SMU.
That's 22-10, no top 25 wins, no top 50 wins unless Marquette or Houston makes it, 7-9 vs the top 100. That is the team I've seen all year, and it is a team that looks more like an NIT team than an 8 seed in the tournament. Don't believe, just look at last year:
Team | RPI | SOS | T25 | T50 | T100 | Seed |
Wisconsin | 32 | 83 | 3-4 | 5-7 | 14-9 | 8 |
Northwestern | 49 | 64 | 1-5 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 8 |
Miami | 42 | 41 | 3-8 | 4-10 | 8-11 | 8 |
Arkansas | 25 | 58 | 0-5 | 4-7 | 12-7 | 8 |
Wichita State (2018) | 31 | 39 | 0-3 | 0-5 | 7-9 | TBA |
Illinois State | 33 | 158 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2-4 | NIT |
Syracuse | 84 | 63 | 3-4 | 5-8 | 8-9 | NIT |
California | 53 | 72 | 0-7 | 2-8 | 6-11 | NIT |
Iowa | 55 | 57 | 3-7 | 5-8 | 8-11 | NIT |
That is who I believe we are. We've struggled vs teams outside the top 50, and lost to those inside it. It took our best effort to beat the worst two teams in the Big 12. It took our best 3PT shooting of the year to beat Houston at home. Bad teams like Arkansas State can clown us for 20 minutes.
That isn't a top 25 team. That isn't an NCAA team. That is 2017-2018 Wichita State unless they improve significantly.
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